African Activist Archive

The mailing says twelve hours later he was dead, beaten to death by the police; now Dr. Jonathan Gluckman, South Africa's most respected independent pathologist, has come forward to say that Simon Mthimkulu was only one of 200 prisoners who were tortured and killed by the police. The mailing says Dr. Gluckman presented his evidence to South African President F.W. de Klerk and to several cabinet ministers; they promised investigations and reforms; but the killings never stopped. The mailing says these killings are only the latest revelations about the apartheid government's repression against the democratic movement. The mailing says at the same time: * Over two thousand striking hospital workers have been arrested; their union, the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union, has been forced to spend virtually its entire treasury on bail. * More than a year after the South African government promised the release of all political prisoners, over 400 remain behind bars; some are still on death row. * The violence monitoring group Peace Action has documented a campaign of police raids, attacks and intimidation against ANC supporters; peace action spokesperson Audrey Coleman said that de Klerk has to be held "personally responsible" for these attacks. The mailing says when I was in South Africa last June human rights workers told me how urgently they need help from people in America; they said that de Klerk will only respond to pressure from abroad. The mailing says since I returned we have been working around the clock to meet this human rights emergency: The Africa Fund has raised over $6,000 for bail to help get striking hospital workers out of jail; We have mobilized churches and synagogues to protest the continued incarceration of South African political prisoners; Africa Fund staff members have exposed the continuing repression in newspaper, TV and radio interviews; Weekly Africa Fund repression alerts have generated timely protests from key human rights organizations. The mailing says all of this has been made possible by your contributions; our work goes on because you, and others like you, care so deeply about freedom and human rights.

African Activist Archive

[Dear Friend of The Africa Fund, Nineteen year old Simon Mthimkulu was arrested at his home in Sebokeng, South Africa.]

Creator

Place Created

Date

Type of Item

Length/duration

Description

Publisher

Organization

Coverage Africa

Language

Digital Format

Rights Management

Collection